MCPHS Boston BSN 2011

U.S.A. Massachusetts

Published

So I've just been accepted to the BSN program in Boston as a transfer student. I'm currently a student at the University of Washington, Seattle and was wondering if anyone could give me feedback on this school. How reputable is it? How good is the program? Is it easy to get a job right after as an RN? How's the city life and where is the school located in regards to the distance from downtown? Would you advise living on campus over getting an apartment? There's so many questions I have because I've never been to Boston and it would be such a drastic and quick change I'd have to adapt to if I decided to attend MCPHS Boston. I apologize if this is an information/question overload, so feel free to answer and tell me whatever you know about the school. I would GREATLY appreciate it. Thank you.

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Specializes in ICU.

I don't know much about the school itself but I do know the area. I went to school at Northeastern which is right up the street. It is within the city limits and not terribly far from downtown. It's a quick T ride to Quincy Market, Boylston Street, the North End, pretty much anywhere. Mission Hill is right around the corner and has some decent bars if you know where to go. Also, you're a short walk from Fenway Park and its neighboring movie theaters, restaurants, and bars. (I don't know if you're a Sox fan but you probably will be by the time you graduate :)). I would say take the chance. There's no city like Boston!

As far as the job market goes, it is tough right now. Most new grads don't have many job opportunities; most who have gotten jobs in hospitals worked there or did clinical there. I'm of the mindset that if you market yourself well in clinicals and have good relationships with clinical instructors, nurse managers, and nurses on the unit that you do your clinicals, you will have opportunities when you graduate. I would also encourage you to get a care partner/patient care associate position while you're in school. Also, you're doing yourself a favor by getting the BSN because most hospitals aren't hiring new grads without their BSN.

Good luck! (and sorry for the novel) :)

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Thanks Carrig RN. I appreciate all the commentary you had to give actually. ANY information is good information! I'm definitely waying the pros and cons as I wait for the other schools I applied to. Thanks for the input again.

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Specializes in ICU.

You're welcome. I did a little bit of research into the school this morning (I'm looking for places to do my MSN) and it is expensive (about 25,000 per semester). It appears they have some prestigious clinical affiliations (Mass General, Newton Wellesley, Beth Israel, Brigham & Womens, and other major medical centers), which is very good if you're looking to learn at some of the best hospitals in the world. It really all depends on what you're looking for in a program. I couldn't really find much information about their academics except they said that they developed the curriculum with the help of Harvard-affiliated clinical faculty. It seems like a good option if you can afford the tuition.

Also, I recommend living off-campus, nearby, somewhere you can walk to school. If you can get a roommate you will save a ton of money on living expenses.

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I definitely agree, especially since it's located in the famous Longwood medical area of Boston. I think it would be a great opportunity to learn in the best facilities. Again, I'd definitely have to visit the school before I made that decision. And are you sure tuition is 25k per semester? I thought that was the amount for the school year?

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By the way, how do you check private messages on here? I received one earlier, but can't reach it now.

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Specializes in ICU.
I definitely agree, especially since it's located in the famous Longwood medical area of Boston. I think it would be a great opportunity to learn in the best facilities. Again, I'd definitely have to visit the school before I made that decision. And are you sure tuition is 25k per semester? I thought that was the amount for the school year?

I'm not actually sure, it says 12-18 credit flat tuition. Perhaps that is for the year and I misread. As far as checking private messages, click on My Account and there should be a drop-down menu where Private Messages is an option. Good luck with your decision!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
By the way, how do you check private messages on here? I received one earlier, but can't reach it now.

You can check your pm's by going to MyAccount in the yellow toolbar above you however can not reply to any that are sent until you have 15 or more posts

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Thanks for help! If anyone else has anymore input, please feel free to message me or email me at [email protected]. These next couple of weeks will definitely require a lot of thinking.

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I suggest you look at the performance summary for Massachusetts nursing education programs, found on the mass.gov website. This will give you the percentage of program graduates who successfully passed the nursing license examination on their first try. I think it is the most accurate indicator of program quality. Also it is more competitive than average to get a nursing job in Boston because it is very desirable to work in the prestigious hospitals that it has.

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2subtopic&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Researcher&L2=Physical+Health+and+Treatment&L3=Nursing+Statistics&L4=National+Council+Licensure+Examinations+(NCLEX)+by+School&sid=Eeohhs2

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